Printing press



May 15,- 1945.

l. A. HUNTING Fig. 1

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I30 INVENTOR Fly. 25

y 1945. l. A. HUNTING 2,376,255

PRINTING PRESS Original Filed se i. 16, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

INVENTQR May 15, 1945.

l. A. HUNTING PRINTING PRESS Original Filed Sept. 16, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 m W .9 W n w m J .t|fi LIILMH INVENTOR y 1945. l. A. HUNTING 2,376,255

' PRINTING PRESS 7 Original Filed Sept. 16, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 I PM n I |l I II I I v \69/ 6k INVENTOR May 15, 1943.v l. A. HUNTING PRINTING PRESS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Sept. 16, 1939 Fig. .9

INVENTOR y 19.45- l. A. HUNTING 2,376,255

' PRINTING PRESS Original Filed Sept. 16, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet-S III II I INVENTOR MAW l. A. HUNTING PRINTING PRESS May '15, 1945.

Original Filed Sept. -l6, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR Patented May 15, 1945 v a p 2,376,255.

PATENT OFFICE PRINTING rnnss Irving A. Hunting, South Plainfield, N. J assignor to'Miehle Printing Company, Chicago,

nois v Press and Manufacturing 111., a corporation of 1111- v bri'gi'nali aerati n Septembei- 1e, 1939; Serial No'Q 295,197; Diiiided and this appl cation J anuary 8, 1941, Serial No. 373, 522 I i a j a it claims.

This application is a division of my application,'Seria'1 No. 295,197; filed "septemberisg 1939, which has ma'tured into 'Patefit No. 2,356,058. This invention relates primarily to sheet fed printing 'pressesbut may. bef used for other operations on flexible sheets of fm'aterial. 1' The main object offthisfinvention is to provide a feeding and registering mechanism 'that cantake sheets to "a, cylinder without stopping them and can register them as the'yar'e moving 'toward the cylinder. Y H

I Another object is to feed the sheets awar the impression cylinder of an offset press' in almi- Jform' manner so thatthe absence or misplacement of a sheet may be detected before itjsh'ould reach the cylinder to' anow timerq; a better impression tripping arrangement my application; SerialNo.'295,197 I e It is common practice tostop the sheet against standing front guides to register it, "andfthen a sh wn 7. in

take the standing sheet by the moving cylinder.

In this invention an'o'rdinary suction feeder may take the sheet from asupply pile and feed it into feed rollers running at cylinder surface 7 speed, from which the sheet is' forwardedover a smooth table toward the impression cylinder. As the sheets will notadv'anceinfexact register, they are timed to comea little too late to reach the cylinder in register; and-then in the l'ast part of their straight travel they are pushed forward a little faster till they reach ;regi ster-stops attached to areciprocating carriag'e running at cylinder surface speed; This carriage also has -a side register stop, past which the sheet isvfed and then pushed over sidewise against the stop before being taken by the cylinder e The carriage that carries the front and side registers is driven by a modified crank and connection 'at either end. These drive the carriage forward at the speedof the cylinder, while the 'sheet is being registered and impression cylinder, 1 a v v This carriage also supports friction elements, which, with thecarriage," are lowered on to the sheetas it is being advanced at cylinder speed. These friction elements have a supplemental motion to push the-sheet over thetable against the register stops.

I have shown myinventioninj t ing drawings in which: i t

Figure 1 is a side view of two cylinders of a sheet-fed printingpresswith 'my 'feeding and transferred tothe e accompanyrgistering', arrangement. H ,7 g a i u 2 i f n n arsedsectionpnaB-s:

g? or were a na winder an of Figure l through'thegears driving'the feed "carriage crank: f J I Figure 3is an enlarged plan view of part of Figure I atthe front side and the cylinder end with part of'th'e fram'e'in section.

igures is a section on line 44" of Figure 3 king the; direction of the arrows; 7 g F gurefifis an "enlarged side view showing the arrangement; for operating the feed carriage. 10 jfFigure'j fi is a section on line 6"6 of Figure "lookinginthe directionofthearrows.

Figure flis a section on line l-| of Figure 5 looking in the direction'of the arrows; Figure'fl is a"top view: of the feed table and sociated parts. f FigureQis'aside view of'the feed' carriage from "inside the frame'with the carriage in position for the cylinder to take a sheet. e f J Figure is a top view ofthe front end of the fee"dcarriage'. 'gure 11 'a secti'on bn'lihe ll--ll of Figgum-10. I e e t Figure j 12 "is a side view of, the' front sheet 1j1f gi1'ref 13 is a top view of the'frontfsheet regi sterjsh0wn in Figurel'12. "T 4' s a r vi w r the front sheet registershownjnj Figures 1'2 and 13 with part of "thetable ShO'Wrli iS'ectioIiQ "FigurfISTis" aside "viewof Lone" forth er a irictionelement'. I

.Figiire. s. is asection online ei-4s f Figure re looking iiithe direction of the arrows."

Figure 17; is. an enlar'g 'view of part we in v "Fi re" 18 is of a friction elen'i'e'nt. I

, Figure 19 is a section on line: l9l9 of Figure l8 looking in'the direction of the arrows. 40 Figure 20isa-sideIview of a wheel for holding he'etja'g'ainstla feed tape.

a, *Figur'Zl i's"a top -.view' of Figure 20. v I

F'gure .22 is a horizontal section of the register d vingfl gear and clutch.

if Figure 23,115 asection on line 2352.3,0: Figure 22flookiiig'fin the direction, of thearrows. v

' .Thejfo'rit frameilil), with a similar rear frame, supports fine f'c'ylinde'rs and the sheet-feeding and registering" parts of a sheet-fed printing press. The' impression cylinder 5| takes and s'upports'ithe'sheetstobe printed by the printing cylind'en'n. "-In aldirectprinting press this cyl- "inder Id be 'the'plat'e or form cylinder. In an offset this Wouldbe the blanket cylinder "'aisid e view of an alternate form I I extending between inside frames TI. Ihese frames are carried on still shafts -Hand -73. Pulleys I4 held in brackets I5 attached to a bar reach up through the table 68, receive the tapes, and return them under the table' to roller 83.

To keep the sheets moving at cylinder "speed,

small spring-pressed friction rolls I6 held by arms I1 and brackets 18 are used (see Figure These may be placed where desired on rods I9. These rods are held above the table over the sheet path by brackets 80 on rod 12. This rod also carries arms 8| for holding the 'friction rolls '64.

Thus the sheetis kept moving at cylinder speed till it approaches the cylinder; then the sheet is moved along the table by friction elements held on a reciprocating carriage. Thesefriction elements're'ston the sh'eet'whilethe carriage ismov ing .atcylinder speed and slide the sheet over the table to bring it to the 'cylinderin registered position.

This carriage 82 is 'recip'rocate'd by connecting rods 83, one at either end of the carriage, op- 'erated from crank pins thathave crank "arms of varying length to drive the carriage at the uniform cylinder speed while the frictionelements have controlo'f the sheet.

The impression cylinder 51 has gears -'84 lat either 'end, and these, "through the intermediate gears 85, 86, 81, and 88, drive gears'8'9 at cylinder speed. These gears "89 '(seeFigur'es 5,36, -and 7') run on studs 90 .and carry slides 9| in guides BI, and theseslides carry crank pins 91 to operate connecting rods 83 and reciprocate the'carri'age by studs '83. The position of this slide on either end determines the length of "the crank arm, and itis controlled by the fixed cam 92, in which cam roll "83 runs. Thisrollis carried on stud 94 extending from thesli'de91'throughblock 95, whichslides in "s1ot 9B inge'ar89. This cam is so formed that when the'cam rol193 and crank pin 9! are passing the vertical'center line of gear 89, the crank arm is equal to the radius of the impression cylinder, "and the crank pin "91. and the carriage 82 are moving at cylinder speed. A't

either-sideof this vertical'line the crank arm is lengthened just fast enough tok'eep'the carriage moving at the uniform cylinder speed, while the friction elements are controlling the sheet. Then thecrank arm is so controlledtha't the carriage is smoothly stopped, returned, and brought 'forward to-cylinder speedagain.

As t'o the register carriage 82, see FiguresQ and 10. This is composed of a pair of'ends connected by a bar 88, the front end '98 beingshown. Each end carries three wheels, I 00, I'OI, and I02, the first two "running on top of a track I03 an'd'the last one running under the trackto hold'the carri'age 'onthe track. Wheel I00is flanged tom the beveled upper edges of the track I03for guid ing the carriage sidewise. These tracks are fulcrur'ned at the 'rear end'onstuds 104 held in the frames. The front endsof -these't'racks are held in the hubs of these levers. These levers are fixed to shaft H4. The height of the tracks is controlled by cam I08 and lever I09, with roll H0, and by link III connected to lever I05. The roll is-held to the cam byspring H2 and poppet .IfI3 'inith'e frame. Parts I08, I08, IIO, III, H2 and I I3 are not used on the rear side.

The carriage also carries a pair of short toothed racks II5, which, while carried forward at cylhand to this and is not shown. These are .each

provided with front andsi'de register (stops H6 and II"! and friction elements H8 and "H9 for pushing the sheet 'againstthe register stops. "The register stops :project downward through tWo of a numberof openings 245 in the table 68 when the carriage is'downfor registering a sheet. The openings used depend on the width of the sheet to be printed. "Openings 245 are to clear .thecylinder'grippers.

The frictionelements are shown here as wheels which are set to rest lightly on the sheets, and they are partly rotated to bring the sheets against the register stops. Then, still turning, theys'lip on the sheet till 'theyare "raised as the sheet-is taken by the cylindergrippers.

To get this rotationthere is a1-cam"I20 (seeFigures"9,'10,"an'd 1'1) fixed to the frame, and'a'lever I2I on the'carriagewith'aroll'I'22'whichruns up on the cam while the friction elements are resting on'a sheet-to carryitagainst the register stops. The lever "I2'I has a gear segment "I23 '-meshing with a gear I24 attached by an "Overrunning clutchtos'haft I25, whichextends across 'thecarri'ag "througheachregister.

"The'overrunning "clutch is shown in Figures 22 'and z'a. where 1-26 is "a sleeve extending 'fromthe -gear I 24. SA'ratc'het 127' is attached to the shaft by set'screw I28 "through co11'arI2'9. Each cu'tin the ratchet -carries'a small roller I 30, which is by a pair-oflevers I05 (see Figures 3 and 4) and I links I06 and are guided sidewise in slots I01 slightly crowded between the "sleeve and the ratchetbyspring "I 3 I. This is "afiat' spring, somewhat fcurved, so that "the ends press against a ratchet tooth -and'the middle, against the roller.

This clutch turns shaft I25 anticlockwise when 'rol1 I22runs up'on'cam I20, but lets the shaft stand idle as spring I32 "forces'lever 'I2'I and roll -I 22 to followdown 'the cam till stopped against pin 24! as the carriage returns. Thisallowsthe wear -on the "friction element to be distributed around'the'wheel instead of being' repeated in one spot.

Figures 15 to 19 show alternateforms of the friction elements. 'In 'the first the friction sur- --face is composed of fine sharp teeth formed on "the :metal rsurfaceiofaawheeLiwhile in the other lustrate the pushing of a p'sheet-ofv paper=over a smooth table by a friction element.

Whenshaft I 25:.is turned anti-clockwise, .friction element I I8 is turned .clockwiseby'gear I33 keyed .to the shaft and meshing with gear I34, "which is combined with the "friction element I I8.

In like'manner; motion isconveyed t'o" friction el'em'entfi I9=throughbevel gears I35 and I36 and spur gears! 31 aridl'38. Plate I39fis"clamped under bar 98' by'screws from a body I40, which carries part of the mechanism. This plate al lowsa clearance over the table for a sheet' of paper; The friction element's extend through openings in the plate to rest on the sheet of paper, a "portion of which is shownas 'I4l registered against the front and side registeri'stops; which are fastened to plate I39.

"'"Friction' element I I8 and gear I34run o'n'stud I42fin lever'I43, which is free on shaft I25. This lev'erjhas, an"exten'sion I44 which holds a hollow ,sc'rew I45 for regulating the pressure of a spring I46. is guidedby a pin I46 extending betweenthescrew and'b'ody I40 to give the proper pressure of the friction element on the paper.

This hollow screw is held from turning" by tightening down screw I48. A stud I49 extends up from body I40fthrough I44Iand carries a nut I50 to limit the swing of lever I43 when the friction element is not resting on a sheet of paper. Screw II can hold this nut from turning. 'Ihe side register friction element H9 and'asso ciatedparts are like those 'just described. 'I'he spindle I52 running in body I40 carries the gears I36 and I31. n

It will be noted that each register is, provided with a side register stop and friction element. Only one side registercan be used at a-time. The stop not used can be removed and the corresponding friction element lifted clear of the sheet by turning down nut I50; 1

.F ures 13 and ii, show a guide 244 for holding the sheet from buckling between the registers. As many of them may be used as are needed.

The sheet to be printed is so fed that it can be registered against the side register stop III close to the edge of one of the openings 245 in the table as is shown in Figure 14. The form to be printed is located to correspond with the edge of the sheet.

The grippers 51 are shown in Figure 4 as just closed on a sheet. The gripper shaft is operated by lever 200 with roll 209 running over fixed cam 2I0.

Having described my invention what I claim 1. In a sheet-fed printing press, an impression cylinder for taking sheets to be printed, a table over which sheets may be fed to the cylinder, a feeder for starting sheets from a source and means for forwarding the sheets at essentially cylinder surface speed toward the impression cylinder, a carriage reciprocating over the table, a part of the forward motion of which is at essentially uniform cylinder surface speed, register stops attached to the carriage and extending through openings in the table during the uniform motion of the carriage, and friction elements mounted on the carriage, and having a motion supplemental to the carriage for pushing the sheets against'the register stops before the cylinder takes the sheets.

2. In a sheet-fed printing press, an impression cylinder for taking sheets to be printed, a smooth fixed table over which the sheets are fed to the impression cylinder, being pushed the last part of the way by friction elements resting on'the sheet as it is supported by the table, register stops moving at essentially cylinder surface speed during a part of their forward motion and, during this uniform motion, extending through openings and then being V mechareciprocating carriage running-over the sheet support, register 1 stops fixed to the carriage, and friction elements carried by the carriage. buthaving a supplemental motion for pushing the sheets against the stops, said' friction elements resting on the sheets whi1ef 'th ey are being'fr'e'gistered v v raised clear-of the sheetfwhile being stoppedand'returnedL- h 4. In a sheet-feed printing press, an impres sion iylind'er for taking sheetsto be printed, a table" to support sheetsf'as they are'beingforfwarded toward' the impression cylinder, and a (carriage reciprocating over the tableandmarrying registerstops and frictionelements for pushing the sheets against'the'register stops, said carriage running on" tracks fixed at one endgand the other end automatically lowered toact on'the incoming sheets and then raised to clear' the sheets and the table; i A 5'. In a sheet-feeding arrangement; a sheettaking cylinder, a source of sheets to'be"fed,"feed rolls running at essentially cylinder surfacespeed, means for taking sheets from thesource to the feed rolls, a table overfwhichT-thesheets; "pass from the'feed rolls to the cylinder, a carriage re ciprocating over-v the table, ,themotion offwhich is at essentially uniform cylinder surface 'sp'eed for a part of. its forward travel, registerlstops attached to the carriage and extending through openings in thetable during the uniform forward notion of the carriage-friction elements mountedon thecarriagefand having a motion supplemental to the carriage for pushing the sheets against the register stops. 4

6. In a sheet-feeding and registering mechanism, a sheet-taking cylinder, a feeder for starting sheets from a source of supply, means for forwarding the sheets toward the cylinder at essentially cylinder surface speed, means, including friction elements carried at cylinder speed, but having a supplemental motion for registering the sheets against moving stops before being taken by the cylinder.

'7. In a sheet-fed printing press, an impression cylinder for taking sheets to be printed, a table over which sheets are fed to the impression cylinder, register stops moving at essentially cylinder surface speed during a part of their forward motion, and friction elements, which, while resting on a moving sheet supported by the table, push it against the register stops bev fore it is taken by the cylinder.

speed, moving register stops, and moving fric tion elements that have a supplemental motion to push the sheets against the register stops before the sheets are taken by the cylinder.

9. In a sheet-fed printing press, an impression cylinder, a-feeding mechanism for taking a sheet from a source to the impression cylinder without stopping it, and means, including friction elements carried at cylinder surface speed, but having a supplemental motion for registering the sheet to moving stops before it reaches the impression cylinder. 3

10. In a sheet-fed printing press, a feeder for feeding sheets, feed rollers, and tapes for forwarding the sheets at essentially cylinder surface speed, a reciprocating carriage with sheet register stops and friction e ements with a supplemental motion for pushing the sheets forward and against the stops, and an impression cylinder for taking the sheets in regis red-position.

11. In a sheet-feeding and registering mechanism, a sheet-taking cylinder, a reciprocating carriage, registering stops fixed to the carriage, means for pushing a moving sheet against the stops, and toothed racks fixed to the carriage, which racks mesh with gear teeth on the cylinder to hold the carriage in exact register with the cylinder while a sheet is being taken by the cyllnder.

12. In a device for registering a sheetwhile it is approaching a sheet-taking cylinder, a reciprocating carriage moving over a sheet support, sheet registering stops on the carriage, and friction elements carriedby the carriage but having a supplemental motion for ushing the'sheet over the sheet support and against the stops.

13, In a sheet-fed printing press, an impression cylinder for taking sheets to be printed, a smooth fixed table over which sheets are fed to the cylinder, means for forwarding the sheets at essentially cylinder surface speed toward the impression cylinder, a carriage reciprocating over the table. a part of the forward motion of which is at essentially cylinder surface speed, front and side register stops attached to the carriage and 14. In a sheet-fed printing press, an impression I cylinder for taking sheets to be printed, a smooth fixed table over which the sheets are fed to the impression cylinder, a carriage reciprocating over the table, a part of the forward motion of which is at essentially cylinder surface speed, front and side register stops attached to the carriage, friction elements mounted on the carriage for pushing the sheets forward against the front register stops, and a friction element for pushing sheets sidewise against the side register stop during the uniform motion of the carriage.

15. In a sheet-feeding and registering mechanism, a sheet-taking cylinder, a smooth fixed table over which to feed sheets to the cylinder, a carriage reciprocating overv the table, a part of the forward motion of which is at essentially cylinder surface speed, front and side register stops attached to the carriage, friction elements for pushing the sheets forward against the front register stops, and a friction element for pushing the sheets sidewise against the side register stop.

16. In a sheet-feeding and registering mechanlsm, a table over which the sheets are fed, and a carriage reciprocating over the table for carrying the registering parts, the carriage being driven by cranks and connections, the arm length of the cranks being so modified that the carriage is given a uniform motion durin a part of its forward travel.

1'7. In a sheet-feeding and registering mechanism, a smooth fixed table for supporting a moving sheet, friction elements carried on a reciprocating carriage and bearing on the sheet for a short time to move the sheet, as supported by the fixed table, forward and against moving register stops.

IRVING A. HUNTING. 

